A few interesting second round picks from Madrid today, with some decent clay court matchups to get into. We've got our predictions below.
Madrid Open Predictions
Mariano Navone vs Alexander Zverev
Head-to-head: First meeting
Navone is a solid clay court player and has every right to be in this draw at his ranking, but Zverev on clay in Madrid is a completely different proposition. He won this title in 2018 and 2021 and has been one of the most dangerous players on this surface for years and his ability to grind through long rallies without panicking is exactly what you need on slow Caja Magica clay.
Navone will make it uncomfortable at times, and I think this goes to three sets, but Zverev's serve and his lefty forehand down the line should be too much over the long run.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Jaume Antoni Munar Clar vs Casper Ruud
Head-to-head: Munar 1-7 Ruud
That head-to-head tells the story pretty clearly. Munar did beat Ruud once, but that was a few years back and Ruud has been the more consistent clay court performer between the two for a while now. Ruud reached the Roland Garros final last year and knows exactly how to manage these slow conditions, staying patient and keeping the ball deep until something opens up.
Hard to see this being competitive at all given that gap in clay pedigree, and Ruud wins this one.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Daniil Medvedev vs Fabian Marozsan
Head-to-head: Medvedev 3-0 Marozsan
Medvedev's clay results have improved a lot in the last couple of seasons and he's 3-0 against Marozsan across all surfaces, so there's not much to pick apart here. That said, Medvedev has never been fully at ease on slow clay and Marozsan is a genuine threat in these conditions, reaching the Barcelona final, a tournament that tends to favour grinders, earlier this month. This feels like the match where the upset is most possible of the three.
Still, I can't pick against Medvedev given that head-to-head dominance and his defensive retrieval makes him brutally hard to put away even when he's not at his best, so he should still find a way to get through here.
Prediction: Medvedev in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Dennis Agyeman/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire